Miserable People
by nightchildx
Summary: In Arkham for her own mistakes, a perfectly sane, but troubled woman battles her way through Arkham Asylum under the reign of the Joker. Much suffering and bloodshed awaits her with indiscriminate hatred. OC/Scarecrow Frenemy. Chapter 6 is up!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Miserable People**

**Rating: M for violence, strong language, and sexual content.**

**Summary: In Arkham for her own mistakes, a perfectly sane, but troubled woman battles her way through Arkham Asylum under the reign of the Joker.**

**Dedication: Valerie, Sarah, and Seven-of-Storms. Love ya'll.**

**Please Enjoy!**

She had told them it was self-defense, except that was only half true. She had come home from work that evening, tired and irritable when she heard an unfamiliar noise in the bedroom. Walking in, the first thing she saw was long blonde hair cascading down what was unmistakably a girl's naked back, rocking and moaning until they finally realized they weren't alone.

She recognized the blonde's face and immediately grew sick, backing up toward the door. "She's a child," she said breathlessly. "She's practically still a baby."

The blonde girl gasped and rolled away, clutching the sheets to her bare breasts while her lover scrambled to recover his boxers. "Liesel! Wait, Liesel! I can explain!"

But Liesel was already running. It wasn't bad enough he had cheated on her, but the girl wasn't even sixteen yet. With any luck, the girl's parents were home in their apartment across the hall, completely oblivious to their minor daughter's deflowering.

Liesel fled up the stairs, but her boyfriend had already snagged her by the ponytail and began to force her back down the steps. Liesel screamed furiously, drew back her fist and socked him directly in the gut.

Down he tumbled, ripping a fistful of her dark hair as he went. Liesel never forgot the sickening crack of his skull against the last step, and how shrill were the screams of the neighbor girl. So yes, it had been to protect herself, yet she felt dimly that he deserved to die anyway.

The prosecutor spun a story of a jealous, scorned woman with a history of violence that intended to kill her adulterous boyfriend while her own lawyer tried to persuade the jury that the worst punishment she deserved was a maximum of three years in a state mental facility.

After painful testimonies, shaky evidence, and many long hours in court, the verdict was finally decided and the punishment was set: Two to three years in Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

Six months in, she has already established a "lone wolf" reputation. She kept to herself and showed no interest or aggression toward anyone to stay under the radar, and in return, the others let her be. Liesel allowed herself one companion- a schizophrenic woman from Munich only a couple years older than she. Monika, she was called, had an odd facial tick and was prone to babble in German to avoid reprimand from guards and orderlies.

Liesel and Monika spent their days in the recreation room playing chess and conversing in German, generally ignoring the other patients, not that they ever approached the two.. During the first few weeks of her incarceration, she received exclusively one-on-one sessions with Dr. Leland until she proved that she wasn't a danger around others and was allowed in group therapy.

"_Sie argern mich_." Liesel would always grumble to Monika over their daily game of chess. "I swear, if I have to listen to those whiney little bitches again, I'll throw a friggin' chair."

Monika twitched and moved her pawn. "_Du sagst das immer_. Why don't you ask to stay in ze one wiz Leland?"

Liesel slid her bishop, taking out her opponent. "I tried that. She's just going to stick me with your group starting today."

"Today, _ja_? I will look forward to spending for time wiz you." The German moved again. "Checkmate."

"_Oh, du schummelst_!" Liesel jeered, grinning wolfishly. "_Das ist nicht fair_!"

Monika only twitched again and flipped her the bird.

XxXxXxX

Every day was astonishingly routine, even from a prisoner's point of view. Wake up, pills, breakfast, individual therapy, more pills, lunch, free time, group therapy, extra free time, dinner, pills, lights out, begin again. Everything was exactly the same from the bipolar's tantrums to the whiney narcissist's rants.

Any kind of change was to be embraced. Monatany, however, was to be expected, lest one risk the disappointment of dashed hopes and a beating from a security guard. Liesel always kept track of the most subtle of daily changes including phonecalls from her old friends to the delight of a long letter from her parents. Today, there was to be none of that sentimental crap, but a simple adjustment of schedule that would have greater impact than one could possibly predict.

She was, of course, the last patient to be escorted to therapy, and resented the guard for drawing attention to her when she entered Dr. Leland's room.

"How nice of you to join us." Leland said, smiling pleasantly. "Please take a seat. She nodded at the orderly who too that as his cue to leave and let the door swing shut behind him.

Liesel sighed and dropped into a plastic blue chair between Monika and a tall man with neat brown hair and glasses. With one glance, she judged by his confident posture and cocky grin that this man was probably a whiney tool. She threw Leland a dirty look, but it went unnoticed as she stood and cleared her throat to begin the session.

"Good afternoon, everyone. As you've all noticed, we have another group member, Liesel Meyer. Liesel," she swept her arm in Liesel's general direction, "Would you like to tell us about yourself?"

She cocked her head impatiently. "Six months, I've been here and you still think I want to share? Lady, you know _damn_ well by now that I ain't social."

Leland sighed adjusted her glasses. "Then I'll just do it for you." She sat back down ,clearly annoyed. "Miss Meyer here is a classic case of manic-depression with violent mood swings. Although she has been admitted for such a condition, she has been remarkably well-behaved, especially considering her record."

"Well don't jinx it or anything." Liesel mumbled.

The bespectacled man beside her smirked. "What _is_ on your record, exactly? Pick too many flowers, doll-face?"

Someone giggled from across the circle but Liesel didn't bother to look. "I killed my boyfriend after I caught him sleeping with a fifteen-year-old neighbor girl."

The giggling stopped and the man beside her tilted his head in curiousity. "I see. So instead of spending the quarter of a century you deserve in an actual prison, your attorney weaseled you in her for a couple years."

"In a nutshell." she agreed.

"So how'd you do it?"

"That's enough, Edward." Leland cut in sharply. "Does anyone have any more _appropriate_ questions for Miss Meyer?"

There was a brief silence before a strong Brooklyn accent broke the peace. "Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before? Oh- oh thats it! You were in that fight club in the Narrows! I went there to do some recuitin' for my Puddin', and you turned down the offah."

Liesel searched the face of the pretty blonde for some recollection of that event. "Yeah... weren't you wearing some jester getup and a ton of face paint?"

"A streetfighter? I had a feeling you weren't the intellectual type." Edward scoffed.

"You shut the hell up." Liesel said. "If you're so damn smart, why are you in here too?"

Before he could reply, Dr. Leland interjected once more. "Yes, Liesel actually has degrees in history and art, and I believe I read somewhere that you're fluent in German, yes?"

Liesel nodded. "_Ja, das stimmt._" She turned to Edward and stuck out her tongue when Leland looked away.

The blonde asked how long Liesel had been a professional badass.

"I've always been a fighter, but I didn't start taking it seriously till after my first job." she paused, hinting that she wasn't about to elaborate when Monika leaned over and playfully smacked her on the shoulder.

"Don't leave us hanging, hmm? Where did you work?"

"Oh, this haunted house thing. Long hours, physically exhausting, but my god, was it fun. The fighting was purely for self-defense because some people would go to deliberately pick a fight with us. Totally worth it though. I mean, I got paid to scare the shit out of people!"

"Satisfying, isnt it?" said another man beside the blonde.

Liesel hadn't noticed him until now. He was brown haired and bespectacled like Edward, but a good bit shorter and dangerously underweight. His pale blue eyes were the only spark of life on his bored face and she immediately felt uncomfortable under his stare.

"That's putting it mildly." she agreed. Inciting fear in another was something she had found immensely pleasurable, but it never amounted to sheer cruelty. Satisfying? Maybe. But it was always entertaining at the very least.

Dr. Leland moved the session along for nearly an hour, though Liesel hardly spoke for the remainder. Monika and another schizophrenic man had the spotlight, allowing Liesel's mind to drift off to a land where the chocolate was free and the meds didn't make you feel like crap.

XxXxXxX

Free time went by all too quickly after that. Monika was on a seperate meal schedule, so Liesel always ate alone. Today would be no different, she assumed, though none too wisely. She was only halfway through her season-less mashed potatoes when someone from behind began to tug at her long, wavy tresses.

"Hey, dyke. Ya miss me?"

Liesel grimaced, the already dull food growing more and more sour in her mouth. "More than I care to mention, Frank."

Officer Frank Boles only snickered and brushed a strand o hair behind her ear. She tensed, expecting the usual filthy comments that accompanied this type of come-on. She could always fight back like every instinct screamed at her to do, but that would only land her in solitary for a good week. No sense dirtying her "good record."

"How's about you and me have a little date after lights-out tonight. Your cell sound good? I promise to behave."

"Oh, how _subtle_. I mean, _Jesus_, Frank, why don't I just buy you a whore instead? A nice one with a sweet boob job." She spat at him.

His arm suddenly whipped out and he grabbed her by the chin, pulling her face up close to his like he was going to kiss her. But he only sneered, exhaling horrid breath that stank of stale cigarettes and weak spearmint toothpaste.

"Don't push me Meyer. I know where you live." He took a moment to let the "joke" set in before he burst out laughing, spitting on her cheek.

She kept silent and dug her nails into her thigh hard enough to draw blood, hoping the pain would distract her rising hatred, but Frank was already through with the harassment. As he walked off to his post, Liesel sat with her eyes closed, quietly counting backward in German.

"Acht, sieben, sechs, fuck, not another one..."

The blonde girl from group- Harley Quinn she was called- sat gracefully on the bench opposite her. Liesel frowned but said nothing, hoping Harley woud do the same. Wish denied.

"What a creep. How come ya didn't split his lip like I know you coulda?"

She shrugged, pushing the last of her peas around her tray with a spork. "One of these days, I will."

Harley grinned. "Pow! Right in the kisser!" she cheered, swinging her fist in the imitation of a right-hook. "He'll get what's comin' sooner than ya think."

Not that she actually objected, but that sounded like a legitimate threat. Liesel forced a weak smile sensing that Harley wasn't about to leave anytime soon. "You sound pretty sure of yourself."

"When my Puddin' comes back, we're gonna throw him a big 'Welcome Home' party! Frankie is in charge of the confetti." Harley squealed, pigtails bouncing.

She only nodded, not sure of how any of that involved Officer Boles. "Uh huh... anything I can do to help?"

"You'd probably be good for keeping out the riff raff."

Liesel expected an answer like that and smirked. "What, like a bouncer?"

"Yeah, except our biggest intruder looks more like a giant, flying rat."

Second free time was chiefly spent alone since Monika was eating dinner at this time and wouldn't see her again till breakfast. She always read during this time, a privilege only extremely good behavior and well-established trust could earn. Today's book was _To Kill a Mockingbird_- a particularly old copy with a worn-out spine and dog-eared pages. Liesel hated that, but tried to enjoy the classic novel anyway, trying to make the solitude more tolerable.

Harley was not present as well, and was likely to be in individual therapy, but someone else from group shared the room with her. The blue-eyed man she had only spoken to once that day sat on an otherwise empty couch with a book of his own. He really was terribly thin to the point of being frail, but there was a certain meanness to him that suggested he wasn't the least bit ill, but rather capable and deadly. He might have been attractive if he didn't have an expression of perpetual boredom making him out to be extremely unapproachable.

Not wanting to be caught staring, Liesel returned to her book, unaware that her prior focus now surveyed her with his own hateful intentions.

**A/N Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think!**

**German Translations:**

_Sie argern mich:_ They annoy me.

_Du sagst das immer_: You always say that.

_Ja_: Yes.

_Du schummelst:_ You're cheating.

_Das ist nicht fair:_ That is not fair.

_ja, das stimmt._


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Miserable People

Rating: M for violence, strong language, and sexual content.

Summary: In Arkham for her own mistakes, a perfectly sane, but troubled woman battles her way through Arkham Asylum under the reign of the Joker.

Dedication: Valerie, Sarah, and Seven-of-Storms. Love ya'll.

Sorry for the long wait! Thanks to all my reviewers and subscribers! Please enjoy!

"Liesel, I won't ask you again. Sit properly please, I'm afraid you're going to fall."

_Yes mother_. Liesel thought amusedly.

The front of her chair which had been tilted backward in a childish balancing act slammed back onto the cold linoleum floors with a crisp _thwack_!

"Sorry, that was way louder than I expected- what was the question again?"

"I asked you about school- specifically your behavior." Leland said patiently, pen poised over her clipboard.

Liesel shrugged. "I kept to myself mostly. Quiet during lectures, raised my hand when I knew the answer. I was generally on my teacher's good side until..." She broke suddenly, peering into her lap. Her head snapped back up with a wry smile forming. "Did I ever tell you about the time I brought a bunch of baby chipmunks to school?"

Monika blinked curiously. "Cheepmonks? Like zat Albert cartoon character?"

"It's Alvin, actually, and yeah like the cartoon only nonverbal."

"What possessed you to do something like that?" Leland asked.

"It was on a dare really. I brought in six of them, each with little blue ribbons numbered one through seven."

"I thought you said zer ver six cheepmonks."

Liesel grinned wickedly and leaned back in her chair. "I left out the number five and let them run loose around the school. The staff caught all six but spent the rest of the day looking for the nonexistent seventh."

Harley cackled, delighted by the deviousness of her childhood escapades. Liesel pulled all sorts of crap as a kid and never regretted it. No one had ever been maimed or had their reputation damaged, but there was never any peace if Liesel had anything to say about it. All her life, her mother had wished her to be "blessed" with a child as equally exhausting as she.

_I hope you daughter gives you as much grief as you do me!_

_If she's anything like me, I'll know exactly how to handle her._

She had an unusual soft spot for children but had vowed never to have her own, believing she could not adequately fulfill her matronly duties. Now that she had been convicted of murder and sentenced to a crazy farm, her pipe dream of conceiving life with a normal man was crushed like a fucking ant.

"I did have some help catching the little critters, but that's another story."

Edward's usual smirk appeared. "I'd never have pegged you for a prankster, but then again you do seem the type to indulge in such childish activities."

"I believe she's made it clear _Edward_, that she was a child during that phase of her life." retorted the other blue-eyed man in a silky voice.

Liesel glanced at him briefly, mildly grateful for his unexpected defense but irritate that she still didn't know his name. It was something short and monosyllabic- did it start with a c or an h? Whatever it was, she kept associating it with a bird.

Liesel clasped her hands together and leaned forward in her chair. "Is there something about me you don't particularly care for, Nigma?"

Edward rolled his eyes. Humility, it seemed, was not a virtue he practiced regularly, and unfortunately, neither did Liesel. "I don't much care for being forced to spend an hour listening to someone of such inferior intellect, but I suppose it can't be helped when you're surrounded by mindless thugs-"

Monika had caught her by the waited and pulled her back before she had the chance to deck the Riddler in the jaw. "You want to know what's really stupid, Edward?" Liesel hissed as Monika tried to guide her back to her chair. "Deliberately pissing off a professional ass-kicker in prison for murder!"

"Miss Meyer!" Dr. Leland shouted. "Control yourself this instant or I'll call a guard!"

The doctor stood by her desk with her hand hovering over an outdated intercom. One push of a button, and she'd be sporting a strait-jacket before she could blink. Liesel threw a venomous glare at the so-called "Prince of Puzzles" who only looked smug, but said nothing.

"Miss Meyer." Leland repeated in a quieter but equally stern voice.

The whispering pleads of Monika and the threat of solitary was just enough to persuade her to back down. It simply wasn't worth the trouble. Liesel sat down without another word, allowing Leland to resume the session.

"Well then, this little incident actually relates to our next topic. Show of hands, who here has ever been bullied?"

Only Liesel lifted her hand. She looked around at the inmates with disapproval. "Anyone who says they've never been bullied is full of horse shit. Grow a pair and tell the truth."

Slowly, they each raised a hand with forced nonchalance, one by one. Doctor Leland nodded, pleased with the response. "Liesel, would you please share, since you were first?"

"I tried out for girl's tennis in my sophomore year. When I showed up for tryouts, this pretty red-head comes up to me, and at first I assume she's coming over to say hi or something. Ha ha, NO. She gets up real close to me and says 'If you take my spot on the team, I'm gonna make your life a living hell.'" She paused for dramatic effect and brushed her hair off her forehead.

"So we all get paired up against each other for a scrimmage, and I ended up competing with the same girl- surprise, surprise. I won the match, but we both made the team anyway. Now, this being said, one would think she would leave me be once she got what she wanted. Again, NO. That demon terrorized me on and off the court, and every time we crossed paths. The day she graduated was the best day of my life."

Harley frowned. "But you were fightin' at this point, right? So why didja let her push ya around?"

"Oh, I fought back alright, but no so much with violence."

"More pranks?" Edward mused.

"And smack talk. I only hurt her once when I served a ball to her and she happened to catch it with her face."

"And rightly so." added No-Name with a sneer.

Leland smiled. "Dr. Crane, would you like to share something?"

Doctor Crane? Liesel thought to herself curiously. Why would she address a patient as a doctor when he clearly doesn't have that authority here?

Crane only chuckled at Leland's inquiry. "I'm afraid Miss Meyer's story has taken up all the time we had left." he said, pointing to the mounted wall clock.

"'Bout Friggin' time! I'm starvin'!" Harley groaned as Dr. Leland stood and summoned the guards to escort them to their next blocks.

Harley invited herself to join Liesel at lunch again much to her chagrin. It seemed the blonde was as dumb as her voice was obnoxious, but Liesel did her bext to let it go.

"Didja hear about Blackgate burnin' down yestahday?"

Liesel swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, and now our little family is about to get a crapload bigger. I don't see why they've gotta dump that trash on use when this place is crowded enough as it is."

"The more the merrier, I say! They're all comin' to the party too!"

Liesel froze at this, displeased with Harley's answer. It was as if she knew more than she was letting on, like maybe she was involved in something. More than likely she was just deluded- Liesel sometimes forgot she was surrounded by lunatics and took them seriously- but something about Harley hinted that she might be more competent, even more dangerous than she appeared.

"You mean the party for your boyfriend? What makes you so sure they'll go?"

"Intuition. We have friends in low places." Harley replied curtly.

"I'd imagine so."

XxXxXxX

All the real books were taken, even _To Kill A Mockingbird_. To make matters worse, most of them weren't even being read, but rather used as building blocks or balanced on heads. When Liesel asked an orderly with all the civility she could muster to bring her something to read, he promptly gave her a child's marine-life themed coloring book and a handful of broken crayons. She accepted the booklet and sat down at a folding table, insulted but submissive. She had managed to color a few pages before someone decided to join her table.

"I thought you were a rebel." Crane said in place of a traditional greeting.

Liesel paused and looked up from her work. "And what does that mean?" she said quietly.

"I was only surprised to see you were so complacent when faced with multiple insults from Edward and of course our 'chaperone'."

His voice was odd- masculine but reedy, and a slight rasp accented some of his words, yet it was fitting for a man of his diminutive size and structure.

Liesel only shrugged. "If I ever get Nigma alone, he's done for. But the coloring thing isn't so bad, really." She smirked and flipped the book around to show Crane her current project. "Look! I colored the crab blue! If that's not a middle finger to society, I don't know what is!"

Crane quirked a brow as Liesel took another glance at the cartoon crustacean. "Now I kind of wish I'd colored him red... oh well."

"You hold your temper for fear of punishment."

She stared at him blankly. "I guess that's part of it. Isn't that what most people try to do?"

The corners of his mouth twitched as if he were suppressing a grin. "Our fears make our decisions for us. We go with whatever option benefits us the most because we are afraid of the negative consequences of another."

Liesel took note of the dangerous glint in his eye- or maybe it was just the light reflecting off his glasses- and began to twist a section of her hair around her finger. "I feel like I shouldn't agree with you on anything for any reason, but that actually makes a shitload of sense. It's the pessimist in me, I guess."

Crane only looked amused. "And why shouldn't you agree with me? Surely I'm not _that_ unlikeable."

"I can see a little red flag when you're near, telling me to stay on your good side. Assuming you even have one."

"I don't."

She shrugged. "Thought so. I'm a pretty good judge of character."

"But not good enough to see that your boyfriend was a pedophile." he reminded her.

Liesel clenched her jaw and flashed a venomous glare at the thin man, trying her hardest not to take a swing at him. After a moment, she let her muscles relax and exhaled, fury escaping like steam from a teapot.

"Not good enough." she echoed. "Not good enough."

The story of her goddamn life. She'd never be as pretty as her sister or as successful as her brother who no longer spoke to her as a result of her incarceration. Her parents, though loving her the best they knew how, never let her forget her faults and her failures like being beaten to the altar by both siblings, or not having a normal career that didn't embarrass them.

_No_, she spat inwardly at herself. _Shake it off and fuck the pity party_.

"Oh my." Crane's voice broke through her thoughts. "It seems I've struck a nerve."

"Eat me, Crane."

He smirked, which only pissed off the street fighter more. She rolled her eyes and sat back with her arms folded across her prison-orange chest as a young female inmate unexpectedly approached the table. She was extremely pretty with her well-groomed hair and ample curves in comparison to Liesel's untamed, athletic build. The girl had only stood there for a moment before she suddenly leaned down and locked lips with Crane in a deeply intimate kiss.

For about six seconds, Liesel watched in fascinated horror as the two exchanged saliva. The girl broke away and walked without a word, leaving a confused street fighter and an amused fear-monger in her wake.

There was a long silence before Liesel exploded with laughter, nearly falling out of her chair. "Do you even know her?" she cackled, holding her splitting sides.

"Hardly. I believe she has a severe compulsion disorder and case of nymphomania. I skimmed her file once when I was looking for something in my old office."

"Does she do that a lot?"

"This was our first encounter."

Liesel could only laugh harder.

A/N Please review :) Oh, and free muffins to whomever finds the Family Guy quote in here!


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Miserable People

Rating: M for violence, strong language, and sexual content.

Summary: In Arkham for her own mistakes, a perfectly sane, but troubled woman battles her way through Arkham Asylum under the reign of the Joker.

Dedication: Valerie, Sarah, and Seven-of-Storms. Love ya'll.

Sorry for the wait and shortness of this chapter. I just really wanted to put this up before spring break ends. Thanks for all reviews and subscriptions! Please keep reviewing so I know this story is worth continuing! I'm still waiting for someone to find the Family Guy quote from the last chapter!

The blackgate prisoners arrived the next morning in busloads, trudging along in their shackles to their new home of Arkham. Liesel was fortunate enough not to be saddled with a new roomate seeing that the majority were male, and for the first couple of days, neither party had much interaction to allow the staff time to figure out their schedule adjustments.

The cafeteria was like a middle school dance- men and women deliberately separated to avoid tension between convicted rapists and their paranoid, potential victims. It was overcrowded and overheated to the point of near-suffocation, or in Liesel's case, near-starvation. These undesirable conditions simply stole one's appetite.

One-on-one sessions were reduced to twice a week and group was shortened to make room for the cons. Meals and recreation were left unchanged in regards to time which Liesel found agreeable as Harley and Crane were growing on her. She'd never go so far as to say that she actually liked them, but rather she appreciated their company despite her anti-social habits and insistence that she be left alone.

At one point she noticed that everyone seemed to be getting a little antsy, if not completely wigged out, as if in anticipation of something she had yet to be made aware of.

"What's wrong with everyone?" she finally asked Crane one day during rec time.

He peered at her over the top of his book somewhat irritably. "That's bit too broad for me to answer. Do elaborate."

"Everyone's been so on edge lately and I think you know why." She said, though not accusingly.

Crane raised a brow in curiosity. "Why on earth would you assume that?"

"Because I can see you're so damn smart. On top of that, you're on of the most suspicious people I've ever met." Liesel crossed her arms hotly.

"I'm sure they're agitated by our new arrivals. Some people" he paused to glare at her "don't adapt well to changes in thr environment."

Liesel stared for a moment then snatched the book from Crane's hands. "Bullshit." She stood quickly and backed away from the couch they'd been sitting on, the book still in her possession.

"What's gonna happen, Crane?"

He did not rise but continued to glare icily at the thief. "You're acting like a child. I will not play this game with you."

"I can see I'm not going to win this. I know when I'm beat." She grinned, feeling particularly wicked and returned to the couch, crawling on all fours until she was perched beside him again. She leaned in dangerously close and her lips brushed lightly against his earlobe where she whispered "I guess I'll just have to wait and see then hmm?"

XxXxXxX

She was in her cell when the power was cut off and the room was flooded in darkness. She paused and remained inanimate for a few heartbeats, waiting until the electric buzzing signaled the charge of Arkham's backup generator, and the lights returned in one flicker... two... and maintained stability.

"Faulty wiring." she murmured dismissively and returned her attention to her parent's last letter.

_Liesel, my sweet girl!_

_We have learned just this morning that we are going to be proud grandparents! Yes, your sister has confirmed tha she is pregnant and is expecting in late June! We are so excited for this new addition to our family, and isn't it lucky that you'll be home from your rehabilitation while the child is still young? I personally hope for another girl so that I might spoil her in a way only a grandmother can! Oh, that word just fills me up with pride! To think that your sister..._

Liesel grimaced bitterly and crumpled up the paper. A new soul that her sister would surely train to hold nothing but contempt for her delinquent aunt. How exquisite.

She almost didn't notice the strange voice streaming from the intercom in the halls.

_Ladies and maniacs! I apologize for this interruption to your regular entertainment. Up until a few seconds ago, I was going to kill everyone in the room, and then watch cartoons, but then, well, you know how I do love a captive audience!_

"That's not Sharpe." she said aloud, rising from her cot.

_I'm just warming you up Bats! Fresh from Blackgate Correctional Facility, with a combined sentence of 752 years, ding ding ding ding ding! It's round 2!_

What in the fucking hell was going on out there?

She stood and listened for a clue, but all she got was the buzzing whispers of confused inmates in surrounding cells waiting for the same answers.

_Sorry Bats, gotta run! I've got places to go and people to slay!_

This had to be a prank from an inmate on the loose. There was no way Warden Sharpe or anybody on Arkham staff for that matter would deliberately try to spook the patients like this without getting in a shitload of trouble.

Finally, the Warden's voice warbled through the speakers, but his words were far from comforting. _The system's jammed! We're stuck in here. Joker's in full control of the security gates._

Liesel let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "The Joker. Well, I'll be damned..."

_Don't make promises you can't keep, Bats_. The other voice growled suddenly in response to someone she couldn't hear. _I'm in control of the Asylum. You're not going anywhere I don't want you to. Understand?_

This was what had been agitating the Blackgate prisoners all along. Christ, this was what Harley had been blathering about during lunch! It was starting to come together, but she was at a loss for what motivated such an uprising other than the fact the Joker was a lunatic. There had to be a reason he'd broken in, instead of out.

Without warning, their cell doors unlatched with a hiss and a clank and swung open, setting every last inmate in their block free.

Then all Hell broke loose.

A/N Next chapter will be longer, I promise! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Miserable People

Rating: M for violence, strong language, and sexual content.

Summary: In Arkham for her own mistakes, a perfectly sane, but troubled woman battles her way through Arkham Asylum under the reign of the Joker.

Dedication: Valerie, Sarah, and Seven-of-Storms. Love ya'll.

Thanks for waiting so patiently and thanks to my reviewers and subscribers!

Orange jumpsuits darted every which way, howling and laughing madly for their freedom. Then the screaming started- shrieks of pain and fear and bloodlust- the unmistakable sound of slaughter.

Liesel hung back. She knew she couldn't stay in her cell forever like a cornered animal, unless she wanted to die like one.

The din died down once the prisoners had scattered and an eerie metallic moan drew Liesel out of hiding. Four mangled bodies remained in the hall, twisted and torn to pieces by bare hands and teeth. She shuddered and looked away from the mess, dreading her journey through the vault-like door and what might lie beyond.

More corpses littered the halls she navigated, guards among them, and eventually she plucked up the courage to relieve one of the fire axe lodged in his chest.

Voices came from around the corner, approaching fast. Liesel dashed to the nearest door only to find it locked from the inside, and was forced to stand her ground.

"Shit." she breathed, stepping back from the entrance.

A startled voice told her that she had been spotted.

"The hell is that?"

"It's a chick, man, just another crazy."

"Just leave her alone. We've got work to do."

"Joker can wait ten minutes. I haven't had a woman in months."

Liesel stared motionlessly at the door, loosening her grip on the axe so that the smooth wooden handle slid down for a longer reach and a heavier blow.

One of the thugs approached her with a filthy grin adorning his features. "I think I'm gonna enjoy thi-"

Crimson sprayed generously from the deep gash in his neck, reminding Liesel of a bad horror film, and he dropped quickly with a look of utter surprise as his last expression.

"Oh- oh my god! She just-!"

They circled her, taking positions at her left and right, both unarmed but capable. She widened her stance and raised the axe to shoulder level, eyeing the man to her right as if preparing to take him out first. But the flick of his gaze to the second opponent directed her to do the opposite.

Liesel twisted around, dropping to one knee and striking the assailant in the hip. He howled and staggered back with the axe still buried in his flesh. Not wasting a second, she tucked and rolled left, sprang up and took a defensive stance as the remaining thug charged. She bobbed and weaved, avoiding his heavy punches and waited for an opening.

Curling her fist back, her right-hook was stopped short as he slammed his knee into her gut, immobilizing her.

"Fuckin' bitch!" he snarled and pinned her against the wall.

Liesel grimaced and spat blood. Time to play dirty. She took page from his book and kneed him in the groin. He yelped and arched his back to recover but lost his grip on her.

"Who's a bitch?" she rasped triumphantly, and rewarded him with a swift punch to the throat.

He went down hard, but Liesel's attention was on the man sprawled in the floor, whimpering in fear and pain. "Still kickin'?" s called out.

A wide trail of blood evinced an attempt to escape, but his side was too gravely wounded and the exertion only bled him out faster. She knelt beside him. "I didn't want for this to happen. But unfortunately," she said, fingers wrapping firmly around the handle. "Im gonna need this back."

Wandering aimlessly was too perilous and her safest bet was to hunker down in a secured room and wait for this to just blow over. Her limited knowledge of the island was less than helpful in deciding _where_ this fortress should be, but her mental list wasn't short of ideas.

There was, she recalled, an unbarred window in an office on the other side of the building. The problem however, was that said office was on the second floor and she was without a ladder.

Liesel sucked in a breath apprehensively, weighing the consequences. "Just make the best of it kid. Can get much worse than this, can it?"

She crept up on yet another group of men standing guard by the main exit- five of them this time, and most were armed- too many to take head on. If she could take them out one by one, she wouldn't have to bother getting to the office. But just how would she get each thug alone?

XxXxXxX

Sullivan's raucous laughter mercilessly grated Mac's eardrums for the hundredth time that night. The joke hadn't even been that damn funny, but it appeared that Sullivan felt otherwise. A small crash echoed from around the corner, cutting off Sully's nasty laugh and sent every guard onto high alert.

"What the hell was that? Think it's the Bat?" The new guy, Peralta said shakily.

Sullivan spat a wad of green-grey phlegm. "I'll take care of him."

Four minutes passed and her did not return. Hoskins sent Holt and Peralta after him, fearing the worst for Sully. Moments after the two disappeared around the corner a startling cry and the distinct sound of a slamming door proved too much for Hoskins and sent him running.

A chill prickled at the hairs on Mac's neck. "Who's there?" he called out, his voice trembling slightly. "Sully? Holt?"

He peered into the hall, seeing nothing but a dark liquid pooling from under the door of a janitor's broom closet. Mac raised his shiv and flung open the door, instantly regretting it.

Sullivan, Holt, and the newbie all lay in a bloody, mangled pile, stacked carelessly against metal shelves lined with cleaning supplies.

"W-what is this?" he shrieked and stumbled back. "Son of a bitch, I'll get you for this!"

"Debatable."

Mac whirled around to face his enemy, but knew no more.

XxXxXxX

Liesel threw the nameless henchman in with his delinquent pals and wipes the remaining blood on her pants. With the fifth inmate run off, the coast was now clear to the exit.

Liesel dashed to the door and opened it ever so slightly to peek through. A cold breeze tickled her face and she crept out unseen. No one could possible spot her from afar in the thick foliage of the bushes she hid amongst even though her orange jumpsuit was "less than stealthy."

She crawled through the vegetation growing filthier by the minute as dirt clung to her bloodied skin and clothes. A shifting form in the shadows suddenly brought her to a dead halt as the Batman himself, a tall, looming, dark angel glided down to the main door of the medical facility.

Liesel took this as an omen. Perhaps taking this path was a bad idea after all, as surely Joker's henchmen would be jumping out fo the woodwork to ambush Batman. But then again, if the Caped Crusader went in first and "cleared the playing field", she could take advantage of the danger-free zone as her new foxhole. Pretty damn brilliant, if she did say so herself. Riddler would be proud.

The Batman paused and turned his head in her direction, staring ominously at the shrubbery as if he could plainly see her. If he did, he had already decided she was not a threat and moved on through the entrance.

Liesel slunk forward, pressing an ear to the door. It was too thick to pick up any sounds of distress from the other side, but she just had this distinctive feeling that it was safe to proceed.

So she did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Miserable People**

**Rating: M for violence, strong language, and sexual content.**

**Summary: In Arkham for her own mistakes, a perfectly sane, but troubled woman battles her way through Arkham Asylum under the reign of the Joker.**

**Dedication: Valerie, Sarah, and Seven-of-Storms. Love ya'll.**

**Please Enjoy!**

**Alright, its short, but that's my style i guess. Thanks to my one reviewer and to my subscribers. Keep it real you guys.**

Batman knew the woman would track him from the moment his night vision picked up her glowing orange form crouching in the overgrown hedge. Orange classified her as armed and dangerous, yet her steady pulse and patient pose made it clear she would not attack. But that didn't mean she wouldn't interfere.

Bruce dropped down the ventilation shaft that provided the only path around the Wayne security gate, then blended with the shadows, lying in wait for the stalker. Only a minute passed before a young, dark-haired woman of average height and athletic build approached the humming orange force field.

Her knuckles turned white as the grip around the axe handle tightened in frustration. Batman knew the vent was out of her reach, therefore ending her journey

"You've got nowhere to go but back to your cell." he growled, giving her his signature bat-glare.

The woman raised her chin in defiance. "The hell I will! Thanks to Joker's people, I barely made it out of my cell block alive."

"Go back now." he ordered once more. "If I catch you following me again, Joker's thugs will be the least of your worries."

"I've made it too far. I'm not your enemy Batman, but I'm not leaving either."

The Dark Knight turned his back. "Then I guess you're stuck here."

XxXxXxX

With plan A gone over like a ton of bricks, Liesel was forced to retreat back outside and make her way over to the Sanatorium under the cover of darkness. Once inside, she abandoned her weapon, realizing the awkward weight would only hinder her- a wise decision she soon realized, once she found that getting past the majority of obstacles unseen required a lot of climbing, rolling, crawling, and on one occasion, playing dead.

All the while she descended each level, Joker's cackling voice would periodically blare over the mounted speakers to challenge Batman or threaten his henchmen, making it evident to all who listened that the Dark Knight was still the undisputed champion of ass-kicking.

Liesel scoured the basement level until at last she came upon her chosen destination: the morgue. Unbeknownst the her, she would have to share her hiding place with several others.

"Hey! Hey you! You can't be down here!" A doctor, probably a mortician stood warily by several meters away.

Liesel took a step forward. "Doctor, I-"

"Stay where you are!" he said quickly. "Show me your hands."

She held up her empty palms in compliance. "I'm not here to hurt anybody, I swear. Arkham is in a shitload of trouble, and this just seemed like a good place to hide out and play it safe. Please, just let me in and clean up a little. You can stick me in the corner if you want, but I swear I'll keep my hands to myself. Deal?"

Pleading with her eyes, the coroner seemed to feel some fraction of sympathy and allowed her in on one condition. "Miss?"

"It's Liesel."

"I'm afraid the others aren't quite as understanding as I'd hoped. They'll let you stay, but you must be confined until order is restored."

Liesel's mouth formed a hard, thin line. "Confined where?"

The closet. The bastards put her in a crowded 4X4 supply closet with only a single naked bulb to provide light. The lock on the door was broken, but the doctors improvised a barricade with a chair wedge under the handle.

As pissed as she was, the crap that lined the shelves actually proved useful, providing her with rubbing alcohol and several sets of old clothes that once belonged to the dead. She peeled off her soiled uniform and soaked a wad of sterile gauze with the alcohol. It was cold and the smell was sharp and sickening but she was happy to clean the blood and filth from her skin. Out of all the extra clothes, only a pair of grey sweatpants and a snug black t-shirt would fit her lanky frame.

Then something went terribly wrong. There was a sharp cry of surprise and glass shattered somewhere in the room. Liesel pressed her ear to the door to listen.

"Get them off! Get them off me!" someone shrieked helplessly.

The lights began to flicker, and the pitiful little closet lightbulb went out completely. Shadows danced as the growing panic on the other side of the door threw the doctors into a frenzy but she could not see what frightened them so.

She didn't want to.

"No Dr. Crane! Don't do this!" another voice pleaded through all the screaming.

A shrill voice laced with malice and contempt laughed hatefully, delightedly, and sneered "There is no Crane- Only Scarecrow!"

There was a crash and the slam of a door, and for the longest time Liesel heard nothing once the screams came to a chilling stop. She leaned in the door again to listen for signs of life when it suddenly swung open under her weight.

Liesel tumbled out, nearly tripping over her own feet. They were all dead- a closer examination would be pointless if not entirely unpleasant. Apparently the chair had been knocked away during the chaos which explained her escape, but there was no sign of Crane.

Had the attack been an impulsive hit-and-run or was the bastard occupied with another victim? In any case, her position had been compromised- she needed to get to higher ground. Avoiding the spilt chemicals and scattered corpses was like a game of extreme hopscotch but with more broken glass and none of the fun.

Liesel reached the hall unscathed and made a mad dash for the door, never thinking to check for threats in her adrenaline-fueled state.

She didn't see Crane until it was too late.

The Scarecrow leaped and tackled her to the ground, easily pinning her beneath him.

"The fuck, man? Get the hell off me!" she snarled, wriggling to escape his hold.

Crane leaned in close, his mask indescribably grotesque, embodying his cruel nature and unparalleled sadism, while fixed on his right hand was a glove of dirty syringes filled with a strange liquid which he pressed up against her throat to silence her. "I suggest you follow me, Meyer. You're of more use to me alive."

"As soon as you get your fat ass off me! Seriously!"

He stood quickly and yanked her up by her bicep. "This way." he hissed and shot off in the other direction.

Crane was wicked fast, and nimble as hell to boot; Liesel could barely keep up without losing sight of him in every other other corridor. Twice they passed directly in front of Joker's gang, but this time without consequence. They did not attempt to attack or give chase, and instead hung back and watched out of respect, or rather, out of fear. Liesel followed Crane without a word, wondering all the while just what in the bloody hell she had gotten herself into.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Miserable People**

**Rating: M for violence, strong language, and sexual content.**

**Summary: In Arkham for her own mistakes, a perfectly sane, but troubled woman battles her way through Arkham Asylum under the reign of the Joker.**

**Dedication: Valerie, Sarah, and Seven-of-Storms. Love ya'll.**

**Sorry about the long wait! I had to do all this end of the school year junk including exams and graduation. Anyway, warning in this chapter, there will be lemons. Please enjoy and remember to review!**

_Well, when you go_

_Don't ever think I'll make you try to stay_

_And maybe when you get back_

_I'll be off to find another way_

_And after all this time that you still owe_

_You're still a good-for-nothing I don't know_

_So take your gloves and get out_

_Better get out while you can_

_When you go would you even turn to say_

_"I don't love you like I did yesterday"?_

~I Don't Love You By MCR

"The fuck... are we doing... now?" Liesel huffed, trying to control her breathing after their brutal sprint across the island. Her lungs ached for air but she'd never show that weakness to Crane, especially not after he'd just spared her life.

He clucked his toungue and shook his head in haughty derision. "Such harsh launguage from one so young." he sneered, closing the door behind them. "Really Liesel, your words offend me."

She rolled her eyes. "I take pride in my eloquent vocabulary. And you didn't answer the question- What's up, Doc?"

She watched Crane with a wary look as he walked past her and plopped down in a swivel chair, removing the burlap mask and tossing it gently onto a desk littered with sticky notes and useless knicknacks to personalize the space. "Recuperating." he said stiffly. "And gathering a bit of information that may prove beneficial in the near future."

"Like what, dare I ask?" Liesel grimaced, guessing just how 'beneficial' this info could be to the rest of Gotham City.

"The less you know, the better, my dear." he said, cryptic as ever.

For a while he rummaged through the desk drawers not saying a word until Liesel became frustrated with being ignored and forgotten and trudged over to a window with a dramatic sigh, making sure Crane was remindedof her presence, and more importantly, aware of her wavering patience. He looked up and watched her silently as she began to play with the blinds, snapping them open and shut a few times. Moonlight streaked across her face and lit up her dark green eyes which seemed to flash golden with every flip of the blinds.

He tried to remember the last time he'd been with a woman. A few months before he'd been tossed back in Arkham, he'd indulged his carnal bloodlust with a woman whom he'd spotted staggering out of a bar one night and over to a nearby bustop. Just as she'd reached the bench she tripped over her own high heel and fell, only to be gallantly caught just in time by Crane himself. She smiled and thanked him repeatedly, slurring her words as she attempted to flirt with him.

_I do hope you're not driving home tonight, miss...?_ He courteously allowed her to use him as an anchor as she steadied herself on her four inch heels.

_Chris_- she stopped to belch and giggled- _s'cuse me. Its Christy. Im taking the uh, I'm taking the bus y'see. Its s'posed to be safer._

He shook his head in false sympathy. _It appears that you've missed your bus, and I if i'm not mistaken, the last one of the night. I would never forgive myself if I let you stay out here all night alone. Please Miss Christy, might I escort you home?_

Christy made it home the next day in hysterics, half-naked, bloody, and driven mad- courtesy of his beloved toxin. He hadn't violated her body at all- he'd ravaged her mind. It had been too easy to twist her eggshell psyche and shatter it to hell without mercy or regret. The girl Christy was terrified of insects of all types, typical of a girl, and had nearly scratched herself raw trying to escape the relentless swarms that her mind concocted from engulfing her completely.

But what sort of horrors was this misfortunate streetfighter haunted by? What would make her squirm in his grasp and scream entire ballads until her heart gave out from sheer terror?

"You see something you like? Take a picture, son. It'll last longer." she said snarkily

He smirked and approached her from behind. He hid nothing; Long, callused fingers gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. There was no mistaking it. There was hardly any real affection and chances were if would never escalate to anything more than lust, yet he let her know that this was not one-sided, that she had the chance to walk away. But her eyes were locked in his icy blue gaze, and she was like a deer in the headlights; frozen in indecision. Even if she hated him, if she couldn't care less if he were to die in agonizing throes, she couldn't have moved if she tried.

Ever so slightly he leaned forward, and immediately she looked away, still hesitant. crane sucked in a bsharp breath and she glanced at him once more. For one split second, time seemed to freeze. Her eyes met his, and she saw something that she'd never expected, that she had never seen in someone filled with such hatred and a permanently cold, calculating demeanor.

It was the most disguised expressions of disappointment that could ever have occurred in a lifetime. God help her, he almost looked human.

And suddenly he was thrown back against the desk by her fierce return. She straddled him, her arms wound tightly around his neck, never letting his mouth leave hers. There was just no fooling herself anymore, no pretending that she was a just a pissed off, nonchalant chick just going through the motions. She had been, of course, but it was gone now, for it had given way to urges more primal than any thought processes.

It was dark and feral, and so much more intense than anything else she'd ever tried. She panted, trying to keep up with him, but he was always a step ahead. When she began to lose her breath he moved on to her sensitive neck, her creamy collarbone, biting her shoulder hard enough to bruise. She hissed in pleasure and pain, and tore her shirt from her body.

Her breaths came harder now, and she couldn't stop gasping at each nip of hias teeth. into her most sensitive parts. Sense was draining quickly from her, and she found her fingers dragging long, angry red lines down his back.

Infuriatingly, he sat up and began to fiddle with his impressive syringe glove. Liesel's jaw dropped. Was he gonna fuck her or fuck _with_ her?

Struck by sudden inspiration, she changed direction and attacked his ragged pants; his surprise gave her just enough time to get the button before his eyes widened with realization and he trapped her wrists in one hand. If he was just going to ignore her and expect her to wait on him, he had another thing coming.

She twisted out of his grasp and stalked toward the door, ready to just drop the to whole thing when Crane's free hand lashed out and snagged the back of her sweatpants, reeling her back in like a fish on a hook.

He pulled her till her back was flat against his thin, sinewy chest and placed both hands now needle-free on her hips. She now had his full, undivided attention. His expression was harsh, unforgiving. He yanked her sweatpants down roughly, plunging two fingers into her. She winced, though she wasn't sure if it was from pain or pleasure.

Heavy with lust, she arched her back, and he accepted her body's call and forced her on the ground.. Their rhythm increased in tempo until her legs were once more tight around his waist, and he'd teased her yet again to the peak of pleasure.

Now was different, though. Instead of torturous, the teasing was deliciously satisfying, promising so much more that was to come. He didn't let her down. When she was gasping and panting again, he flexed his hips, breaking her with one smooth stroke. She cried out, but her pain was smothered by his mouth over hers. She quickly adjusted to him, thrusting her hips up to meet his powerful lunges.

She had just given herself to this man, this monster who was barely capable of showing any compassion to another through an act most considered intimate and sacred. She felt no attachment or affection for him- none whatsoever.

She could only hope Crane was thinking the same.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Sorry for the long wait. I just got settled into college and just didn't have to will to write this thing. Thanks to all my reviewers and subscribers!**

**By the way, props to the anon Mandy who answered my bonus question correctly. The Family Guy quote was indeed **** "look I colored the crab blue! If that's not I giant middle finger to society then I don't know what is...now I kinda wish I colored him red."**

**Also, thanks to Lilypebbles666 for correcting my mistake earlier in chapter one. The German phrase for "You're cheating" is "Du Schummelst."**

It was a bad idea to begin with, that much was clear. Even on the best of days, one night stands were indiscriminately awkward for villain and virtuous alike. Wise men say that there is no such thing as 'no strings attached' or that every sexual act has consequences of some sort.

This is the truth, even as many will turn blue in the face pretending otherwise, or if finding yourself directly affected, you simply don't care. As the cosmos would have it, things can and will go wrong.

Liesel briefly pondered this and did her best to avoid eye contact as the pair collected themselves for whatever Crane had planned. There was pregnancy, disease, emotional attachment, or from someone of Crane's moral standing, blackmail.

The first two issues would remain a mystery, and she was absolutely certain that she had no allegiance to her villainous partner. The silence from either party made it evident that this escapade was never to be discussed at any time unless the occasion called for it.

Not bloody likely.

She used her fingers to comb her unruly hair back into a ponytail using a rubber band she'd pilfered from the desk to hold it together.

With a huff she let her arms drop to her sides, appearing exasperated. "Well? Are we moving on or what?"

His mask one again covering his face, Scarecrow's smirk went unnoticed. "So eager to leave. Yes Liesel, now is the time for action."

She rolled her eyes. "Fantastic. What's the plan?"

"I believe we agreed that it was best you didn't know." Crane replied somewhat haughtily. Not waiting for a response, he cracked open the door and peered out, sweeping the hall for safety.

"I never agreed." Liesel mumbled, yet her quip was ignored.

Affirming that the coast was clear, Crane slipped out the door without a sound. Reluctantly, she followed his lead without further argument.

They walked in silence for a quarter of an hour at which point Liesel's bare feet began to ache a bit. Water dripped from the ceiling and splashed down the nape of her neck and sent a tremor of shock like a cold finger dragging down her spine.

"Damn, that's cold." she spat and wiped away the stream from her skin. "Dammit, has Arkham always been a complete shithole?"

Scarecrow's laugh was thin, and even raspier through his breathing apparatus. The sound was still taking some getting used to. "For as long as I worked here it was actually much worse."

"I'm guessing that was your fault." she sneered, only halfway serious. "You've always been like this, haven't you?"

"That is not up for discussion Miss Meyer." he replied in a clipped tone. "I took pride in my work. I still do."

She scoffed at his choice of words._ Work_. She bet her life savings he meant torture, if he was the same sadistic bastard he was right then. "Oh, come on. Everyone likes to talk about themselves to some extent. It's how you make friends."

Actually befriending Crane was not exactly of interest to her, but on the other hand, making an enemy of him was presumably worse, therefore rendering her last statement less inane.

"Friends?" Crane stopped walking and turned to face her. "You don't seem to realize how expendable you are to me. Your disposal would be akin to crushing an ant. Simple and of no consequence."

To her own surprise the remark actually sting her a bit, as well as make her wary. Even though she expected this, even though she had no desire to be with him, she was not made of stone. An insult was an insult, and would always be just that.

Rather than display her wounded feelings she only shrugged. "And here I thought you were a people person." she said silkily. "Forget I said anything and haul ass. My bad knee is killing me."

Crane's icy gaze lingered for a moment to study her face, and then resumed walking in silence. Liesel had only taken a few steps when a sound like a whisper startled her. She whipped around to find only the dark empty hall in her wake, with no sign of any clear and present danger. Yet when she changed her direction, she realized that she'd made a mistake.

Crane was gone.

Furious with herself, she let out a hushed string of curses and jogged down the hall in hopes she would catch up. The sound of her bare feet smacking against the cold floor reminded her to slow down and stay silent lest she attract more trouble.

There was still no sign of him. He could have gone anywhere at this point, and that asshole didn't bother to tell her where from the beginning. He couldn't leave foot prints on the linoleum, and the only personal item he had to lose was attached to his hand, thus leaving no evidence of a trail.

_It figures this would happen to me. This day just keeps getting better and better._

Where was he now? The south corridor perhaps? She stopped suddenly, considering just turning back and barricading herself in the office.

He didn't need her in the slightest. Sure, she was like the brawn to his brain but the wily little fucker was just fast and smart enough to get out of whatever scrape he could run into on this island.

Across the hall, there was a dim green glow coming from an otherwise empty crawlspace. Or maybe it was an air vent sans the metal grate covering, Liesel couldn't tell. But it intrigued her. Her curiosity pushed and nagged and screamed at her to investigate till she finally shuffled over to the opening and got down on her knees to peek in.

The box-like tunnel continued straight forward for about four feet and turned left. Whatever source the glow belonged to was sitting directly behind the sharp corner, just enough to stay hidden from anyone sitting at Liesel's angle.

The vents were more than large enough to allow Liesel to crawl through and retrieve the object she desired and turn back without getting stuck and finding herself in the throes of claustrophobia.

She ducked inside, shuffling slowly to her goal. Years of dirt and dust were kicked up from all the movement and tickled her nose and throat to the point where she was forced to use her shirt as a filter and cover her mouth.

The prize was in reach now. It was actually kind of… cute. The light source itself was curved to look like a question mark and fixed on a smaller, cubed mechanism that probably powered it. Though well-crafted, it was clear the funny little device was handmade by someone with too much time on his or her hands.

She picked up the trophy by the base when the sound of human activity made every hair on her body stand on end. Someone was coming from the hall, getting closer. Heart pounding, she realized her many disadvantages: outnumbered, unarmed, and stuck in a hole were not incentives to enter battle and expect a nonlethal outcome.

With no other choice she kept crawling through the air shaft, turning left, left, right, and left again though spider webs, dead insects and the occasional rat till her patience was rewarded with the exit she sought after.

She approached the end, listening for any sign of clear and present danger. Though she could hear nothing, she knew it didn't necessarily mean she was alone.

With her heart in her throat, she emerged. She was still breathing- always a good sign for most people in her situation.

"I thought I told you to return to your cell."

The gruff voice's sudden appearance sent a jolt of genuine fear through her and she nearly screamed. She whipped around to see the hulking figure of the one and only Batman. His cape was in tatters, and a smear of blood had dried under his nose. Though his stature and fearful aura were still intimidating, his posture was strained, if not tired and defeated. Whatever injuries he'd sustained through the course of the night were no match for the Caped Crusader.

"Well." She said. "You look worse for wear since we last met."

"Long night." He said rather curtly.

"I can imagine. You look like you need a drink, my friend."

"As soon as I put Joker down." He rumbled. "Now tell me, what are you doing here?"

For a moment, Liesel considered lying to him, but was caught between that decision and the truth. For a long while she stared at Batman with her mouth slightly agape, weighing her options. Finally, she settled.

"I'm with Scarecrow. Well, no! Not _with_ him, just were sort of using the buddy system. We're sort of friends… Aww hell, he threatened to kill me earlier, we're _so_ not friends…" She paused. "Yeah, fuck that guy."

He grunted casually. "I take it you were separated?"

"That jackass completely forgot about me! I ought to smack him with this stupid night-lite thing I found." She spat, waving the strange green object she'd found in front of the Batman.

"Let me see that." He demanded, extending his arm.

She relinquished is willingly. "Keep it. I have no idea what it's for anyway."

"It's a trophy." He said, taking it from her. "The Riddler has been stashing these all over Arkham Island, challenging me to find them all."

"Oh GOD I'm so sorry you have to deal with that ass-hat. The guy just doesn't know when to shut up." She threw her hands up, exasperated.

"Just as you don't know how to follow instructions."

She rapidly jabbed a finger at his broad chest. "You're the second man tonight to assume that I'd agreed to something I clearly didn't."

"And now you're involved with a dangerous sociopathic criminal." He reminded her.

She scoffed. "Please, I'm a dangerous criminal too." The Batman began to turn away. "No really, it's true! I killed a man! Granted, it was an accident but… Look. It just so happens I'm headed in the same direction as you. Just let me find that Wizard of Oz reject, and I swear I won't interfere."

Wordlessly, the Dark Knight had already begun to walk away, now several feet ahead of her. She called out to him again but still, he did not answer.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes!" She shouted and dashed down the dark hall, hot on his heels.


End file.
